Ask Four Tops singer Abdul “Duke” Fakir about Atlanta and James Brown, 1955 quickly comes to mind.
That’s when the Four Tops followed James Brown and the Flames at the Royal Peacock lounge.
Not a great idea, Fakir thought at the time. It was their first time performing here and before they could hit the stage Brown had the place on fire. Expectations would be high for the next act.
“We couldn’t out-cook James Brown,” Fakir recalled. “There was no way.” Instead of trying to match Brown’s intensity, the Four Tops performed love songs to appeal to the ladies in the audience. They won them over.
That kind of ingenuity has kept the Four Tops going for more than 50 years, albeit with only one original living member -- Fakir.
The Four Tops and The Temptations perform Sept. 10 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. They will perform favorite tunes such as “Baby I Need Your Loving” and “My Girl,” as well as songs made popular by other Motown music groups.
The two groups have performed together since the “Motown 25” television special in 1983. Both groups knew they had the makings of a concert tour, Fakir said.
The Temptations also have one remaining original member, Otis Williams.
“I’m always thinking about the original Temps,” Williams said. “You could feel the magic and specialness when we were on stage. I miss them dearly.”
Each member had their own unique quality, Williams added: “Melvin [Franklin] with his deep growling base voice. Eddie Kendricks with his soaring tenor; Paul [Williams] with that grittiness in his delivery and David Ruffin with his unique singing and being able to do wonderful things with the microphone. And then me just being able to keep things together.”
Ali-Ollie Woodson, who helped make The Temptations hit “Treat her Like a Lady,” died in May.
Both Williams and Fakir say their current groups follow in footsteps that were laid down long ago, and they give audience members what they expect during shows.
The Temptations and the Four Tops continue to make original music. The Temptations released a CD earlier this year, titled “Still Here.” The Four Tops are working on a new album and Fakir is writing a screenplay on the group.
FUN FACTS ON THE TEMPTATIONS AND THE FOUR TOPS
Giving into Temptation. In 1989, then-U.S. Air Force serviceman Terry Weeks spotted Otis Williams on the street in Hollywood, Calif., and mustered the courage to sing "Sack Full of Dreams" by Donny Hathaway. That was the start of a musical relationship, which years later led to Weeks becoming a member of the Temptations.
In the wings. Before Terry Weeks officially joined the Temptations in 1995, he filled in for then-ailing Ali-Ollie Woodson by singing in the wings, while the other four members performed front stage. Now an original member, Weeks, who is 5'9" wears two-inch heels to meet the longstanding height requirement for Temptation members.
Aim for the Top. The Four Tops started as the Four Aims but changed their name after two years because of the already popular Ames Brothers. The Four Tops were high school buddies who started singing together professionally after graduation to pay for upcoming college expenses. They fell in love with performing and decided music is what they wanted to do for a lifetime.
How times change. While the Four Tops' music represents the soundtrack of many people's lives, they represent something else for younger generations in their native Detroit. The group appears in local commercials for Happy's Pizza. "Mothers will say, 'Hey that's the Four Tops.' And the younger people say, 'That's the Happy guys,' which is fine, but it's weird," said Duke Fakir.
CONCERT PREVIEW
The Temptations and Four Tops perform at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre at 8:30 p.m., Sept. 10. $49-$110. 2800 Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center, Atlanta. 770-916-2800. www.cobbenergycentre.
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